The Giesel House
Navasota, Grimes County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Situated near the Houston & Texas Central Railroad Depot, this three-story stone building was erected in 1860 by R. H. Giesel (1833-1872) and his German-born wife Fannie (1828-1881) to house a restaurant and hotel. A two-story frame porch originally extended across the front of the structure. Giesel, a Confederate veteran, served as temporary mayor in 1867, when a yellow fever epidemic struck Navasota. Fannie Giesel renamed her restaurant "The Good Morning John" in 1871. She managed the business until her death in 1881. Later owners operated the hotel as "The Exchange" and "The Hoyle".
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Beside the Houston & Texas Central Railroad depot, German immigrant R. H. Giesel and his German-born wife Fannie built this three-story stone building in 1860 to house a restaurant and hotel, fronted by a two-story frame porch. A Confederate veteran, Giesel served as temporary mayor in 1867 when yellow fever swept Navasota. Fannie renamed her restaurant "The Good Morning John" and ran the business until her death in 1881, after which later owners kept the hotel going under new names.
Why it matters
The Giesel House reflects the German immigrant enterprise and railroad-side commerce that shaped nineteenth-century Texas towns, and the epidemics its owners lived through.
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Related people
- · R. H. Giesel
- · Fannie Giesel
Themes & tags
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